Improvement in the manufacture of picks



. Q 2 SheeIs- Sheet 1 J. C. KLEIN. Manufacture of Picks.

' Patented Jan. 20. 1874.

UNITED SrArEs JOHN G. KLEIN, on rrrrsnunc, PENNSYLVANIA.

IMPROVEMENT IN THE MANUFACTURE OF PICKS.

, Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 146,59'7, dated January 20, 1874; application filed August 6, 1873.

To allwhom it may concern: N

N N. Be it known that I, J OHN CHRISTIAN KLEIN, of Pittsburg, in the county of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Improvement in the Art of Manufacturing Picks, &c., of which. the following is a specification:

, 1n the manufacture of picks and similar implements, it is desirable to form'a high eye, in order that the helve may be securely attached thereto. This has been done heretofore by drawing out the metal from the sides of the blank entirely by hammering, or by passing the blank transversely between cam faced dies; but both these methods have proved defective, as-"only a limited amount of the metal can be drawn out in this manner, and the extensions or ears thus formed on either side of the eye are simply closed together, or imperfectly welded at their meeting edges. To remedy this defeet, and form a high solid eye in a simple and effectual manner, the blank, after the eye has been punched, is placed edgewise between dies, and the metal set down at either end of the blank, to form the shank or prongs of the pick or mattock, leaving a solid ridge of iron projecting therefrom around the eye. The blank 'is then placed upon a" mandrel and passed transversely through peculiarly-shaped concave dies, that give to the eye its final shape and finish, as hereinafter described.

In order that my invention may be carried into effect and more perfectly understood, I will describe it more minutely by reference to the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a perspective view of a rectangular blank of iron of suitable dimensions to form the body of the pick or mattock; Fig. 2, a similar view of the blank aft-er the eye has been punched edgewise through it; Fig. 3, a similar view of the blank after the eye has been struck up; Fig. 4., a similar view of the blank with the mandrel inserted for enlarging andiinishing the eye between the dies; Fig. 5, a

similar view of a finished pick, with its eye formed by my improved method; Fig. 6, a view of the die for finishing the eye of a pick; Fig. 7, a view of the die for finishing the eye of a mattock; Fig. 8, a plan view of the die shown in Fig. 6, with the outline of a pick (dotted) in position; and Fig. 9, a like representation. of

Fig. 7, with the outline of a mattock (shown by degree to enable it to be easily worked. The blank is then placed under a press, and. the

eye punched through it cdgewise from both sides, in the usual way, so that the eye will be two and one-fourth inches in the rough. The

blank is then placed, with the same heat, di-N rectly between dies that give to it the peculiar shape shown in Fig. 3, the metal being struck upon its edge or passed between rolls, and the eye A thus formed will equal in height the width of the blank. The shank or prongs B G are by this means set down a suitable dis- N tance, and leaves the projecting parta of the eye solid around its entire circumference. The blank, when thus formed, is then reheated and the mandrel. D driven into the eye to en- N large it, and also serve to manipulate the blank and protect the eye during the finishing operation. When thus prepared the blank is passed transversely between dies E of the peculiar shape that serve to partlydra'w out and round 011' the metal on either side of the eye a and give to the outer surface of the walls of the eye its final finish,as shown in Fig. 4. The i die E may be applied to a drop-hammer or in oscillating rolls. The latter, however, are preferable, as the whole operation is then. performed by a single movement of the dies, and produces a superior result.

When the dies are made to be used in a hammer, their working surface is straight in the direction of the arrow X, ,and concave in the direction transversely thereto 3 but when used in rolls, the straight surface is made convex. An essential feature of thedie E consists in the formation of its side walls, which are higher at one end than at the other, so that the upper and lower dies bear upon each other at one end and not at the other. By this means the shank or neck of the mattock may rest upon and between the depressed sides of the dies, and the projection for the eye may be completely encompassed and prevented from spreading laterally by the raised sides 0 c of the walls.

The shoulder thus formed in the dies also PATENLQE N -soli(l-at the ends a a possesses obvious advantages over those that are drawn out in the usual way, and siniply closed together, it bein g impracticable to weld them.

As that part of the handle which passes through the eye is wedge-shaped on its upper and lower sides, it aifords a very powerful mechanical agent to divide or separate the two sides of the eye, andwhen this is accomplished, even very slightly, the handle becomes loose, and the utility of the implement is impaired.

By the peculiar form of the die E, when used in connection with the blank hereinbefore described, I am enabled to form a stronger eye and givevto it a more perfect finish than can be obtained by the ordinary method of hammering and swaging; and it furthermore requires less time and skill in performing the work, thus improving the quality, and also reducing the cost, of the product.

It will be readily seen that the eye of a I" at tock or similar implement may be formed n the same manner, with but slight change in the shape of the dies.

I claim as my invention- 1. The within-described method of fornnng the eye of picks, consisting in first punching the bar, second, in setting down the metal on either end around the eye, and, lastly, drawing down on a mandrel between rolling-dies, sub stantially as described and shown.

2. The dies E, constructed as described, for drawing down the eye, substantially as shown.

JoH'N one. KLEIN.

Witnesses Enw. OoLLnY, E. C. DAVIDSON. 

